Who am I?
by Kohaku no Hime
Summary: Set during early series, no pairings. Seto comes out of the Shadow Game.


_Really, this came out of nowhere._

_It would NOT stop bugging me until I put it to paper. Curse my plotbunnies..._

_Sometimes it rhymes, other times it doesn't. Don't look for a rhythm--there isn't one._

_I own nothing but the poem._

_Have at it._

* * *

Once there was a Boy.

The Boy was happy, he had everything he wanted

He had a loving Mama, a doting Papa, and a brother on the way

Life was perfect for the Boy.

Then one day, Baby came and Mama went away,

Papa cried long into the night

The Boy wept also

The happy days for the Boy were over.

Papa drank some nasty, bitter liquid every night without fail

The Boy was left alone to raise Baby

Then one night—a knock at the door and sirens lighting the night

Papa had gone away, too

The Boy and Baby were sent away from their home to live with Aunt and Uncle

Both were evil, both were dark, both uncaring and selfish

The Boy grew older, as did Baby, both opposite of Aunt and Uncle

"What's an orphanage?"

Two children dropped off at a cold, steel gate

Twenty eyes locked on them, and four looking back

Baby was not Baby any more—the Child was four

The Boy nine

A whispered promise from the Boy reassured the Child:

"I won't let them separate us."

Two years went by

Countless parents came to adopt the Boy for his genius

None of them walked away with him

The Boy played in a box filled with glittering sand, the Child beside him

He plans on building an amusement park for all orphan children

Like himself—the idea delights him

His face lights up with a pure, innocent smile

The Boy and the Child, sitting inside on a rainy day

Silently playing chess when the TV came on

A man with many rings on his fingers is on the screen—a famous man…

The Boy watches the program intently

Not too long after that, a Man who smelled of cigars and cologne came

Looking for a child to adopt

His eyes landed on the Boy playing chess with the Child

An issued challenge from the Boy rang out:

"I can beat you in chess."

The Man who smells of cigars laughs, a disbelieving laugh

The Challenge is accepted, the Game begins…

The Game is won, the Boy triumphs

Was the game fair played?

The secret is hidden, the Boy's lips are sealed

The Man who smells of cigars takes the Boy and the Child

To a glittering white Palace, a beautiful place—

But the Darkness inside is all consuming

The Boy is thrown into a world of chaos,

A world that holds nothing but blood, pain, and weariness

Books to be read, papers to be written,

If not perfect, the Boy is beaten

The Child is separated from the Boy, unknowing of all that goes on

But knowing that his Brother is hurt

The Child hates the Man who smells of cigars

A whispered prayer: "Let my brother be okay."

Another Challenge issued, this time by the loser

But the Challenge is worthless; the Boy succeeds in a day

The Boy is no longer a Boy—he is a teenager of thirteen

The Child is eight

The Teenager fights now to take the Company,

The Company that belongs to the family he was ushered into

The Man who smells of cigars laughs again in disbelief:

"You can't take it if you tried!"

Three attempts foiled…

Whispers on the wind of the Child ruining the Teenager's plan

The sound of a slap, a body hits the ground,

The Child is crying,

The Teenager's heart breaks but he does not cry

He has forgotten how.

Days pass in rapid succession, with the Child in misery,

The Teenager in pain; to drown out his own sorrow,

The Teenager throws himself relentlessly into his work and does not stop

One last coup-d'etat…

Success at last!

The Final Challenge is won, the Company his

The Child once more at his side, forgiving him for his past sin

As for the Man who smells of cigars…

The sound of glass-breaking, shards dancing in the dying sunlight of a crimson sunset,

A falling body, silently tumbling down…down…

And watching that fall is the Teenager, his mind a blank

A strange calm overwhelming him, his senses dull, his eyes cold

He does not care—the Demon is dead

Never again can he torture him…never again can the Demon keep him from the Child…

Three years pass, in which much occurs

The Teenager has developed into a cold, uncaring Entity

That Entity filled with a Darkness of his own

Similar to the Darkness inside of the glittering white Palace

Yet…

Once more, a Challenge is issued, the Entity sallies forth to conquer

Confident in his own ability—he has never lost a Challenge

Every Challenge he has won has changed his life, in some aspect

The Boy, the Teenager…

Both are locked away in the Darkness of the Entity's mind

A Battle begins—the Entity fights with his might, a Machine ready to kill

But one turn changed Everything.

The Darkness is seared by Light, the Entity's mind broken,

Broken like the glass that flew around the Man who smelled of cigars

As he fell down…down…

Nothing.

…………………………..

_Click_.

A piece of a Puzzle fit together

A Boy sitting in the midst of darkness, surrounded on all sides by golden pieces

His eyes intent, brow furrowed

Concentrating on his task with all the determination he can muster.

_Click._

Mama and Papa, laughing as they watched their son play…

_Click._

Baby comes, and Mama goes away…

_Click._

Sirens flashing, lighting up the night…

_Click._

"What's an orphanage?"

_Click._

"I won't let them separate us."

_Click._

The Child cries out in pain, his eyes filled with tears…

_Click._

Glass flying around, illuminated by the dying sunset…

_Click._

On and on, the Boy continues his task

Completing a Puzzle that will set him free,

Repairing the damage done by the Man who smelled of cigars

But what will emerge when the Puzzle is complete?

The Boy cannot come back,

The Teenager cannot be allowed to return, lest he relapse into the Entity...

Who, then, will emerge from the Darkness?

…………………………

Light. Eyes opening, vision blurred.

Rising slowly from his seat, violently wobbling

He stands there, uncertainly

Like a newborn fawn

He just stands there and waits, sampling the sounds and smells of the air

It has been a long time since he was sent into the Darkness

What has happened?

Where is the Child?

News comes in from a faithful employee—

The Child has been taken

No time to waste—action must be taken

The blue cotton pajamas come off of him, no longer needed

Shirt, pants, shoes…almost everything is ready

He passes a mirror and stops

Who is the person looking back at him?

Eyes of cobalt, flashing bright with fire and indignation

Milk-chocolate hair, neatly combed and yet his bangs fall defiantly into his face

Skin of ivory, hands of white, cobalt eyes

His face impassive at first, melting into a contemplative look as he stares

Who is the person looking back at him?

Not the Boy—he is too old and that chance has gone

Not the Teenager—his eyes are just a tiny bit warmer

Certainly not the entity, with his cold heartless smirk

Who is he?

A simple answer, spoken aloud in a voice too quiet to be heard

Yet it carries a tremendous amount of power:

"I am Seto Kaiba."

* * *


End file.
